Living, Caring, Learning – Trust and teamwork in patient care

Marcela, a nurse specialist in Brazil, reflects on the importance of trust in the therapeutic relationship in achieving the best patient outcomes. She describes her experience with a patient with severe haemophilia A and an inhibitor. The patient was non-adherent to his treatment regimen and immune tolerance induction (ITI) failed. At a time when he was experiencing increasing joint problems and pain due to bleeding, the treatment centre was approached regarding a clinical trial of a novel non-factor replacement therapy. Following discussion among members of the care team and with the patient, a decision was made to put him forward for the trial, despite concerns about his ability to adhere to the trial treatment regimen. The patient completed the trial, his quality of life improved and he continues to have prophylaxis with emicizumab. Marcela goes on to reflect on the role this new treatment likely played when the patient was involved in a serious accident and the surgeries that followed. She highlights the importance of not giving up on patients who present a challenge and working closely together with treatment centre colleagues to achieve the best care for individual patients.